Cigar-package



E. VALLENS.

CIGAR PACKAGE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.2I, 1919.

1 373 571 Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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E. VALLENS.

CIGAR PACKAGE.

APPLICATION men AUG-2|. 191:9.

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

a munition or man nun.

Patented Apr. 5,1921.

Application fled August 81, 1919. lerhl Io. 819,013.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE VALLENS, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cigar-Packages, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The invention has for an object to present an improved tobacco package,especially a commercial package suitable for cigars wherein the bouquetand other peculiar qualities of smoking tobacco will be preserved. It isan aim to ive a package of this character in which t e ci ars and thefragile parts of the package wi 1 be liable in a minimum degree tofracture. It is also an aim to ive a package of this character in whichthe moisture contents of the tobacco will be preserved satisfactorily.

A'further aim is to give a package in which the cigars will be presentedto view in an orderly arrangement and further to offer a new specificconstruction in structural parts, especially adapted to maintain thecigars in orderly arrangement in this style of package. 1

It has long been known that tobacco, especially in cigars deterioratesrapidly by exposure to the air, losin its good qualities, and becomingvery brittle and dry. Air from the ocean also changes the flavor of thetobacco in a particularly disagreeable manner. It has been a practlce,heretofore, to inclose cigars in individual sealed glass tubes which hasbeen found to preserve the desirable qualities of cigars in a verysatisfactory manner, but considerable difliculty has been experienced inshipping the product in this way. Numerous attempts have been made toprovide a satisfactory package for cigars of this form, without entiresuccess, and it is an aim of my invention to overcome this difliculty,which I have accomplished by peculiar constructions in a container forthe individual cigar cells, and in conjunction therewith extending theresilient closure stopper of the cigar cell and parts associatedtherewith in such manner as to completely attain the objects in view.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will appearfrom the structural details, arrangement and combination of partshereina ter described and shown in the drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a commercial package embodying myinvention,

F g. 2 is a cross sectional view thereof,

Fig. 3 is a plan viewof a blank used in the packa FIE. 4 1s a similarview of a transverse blan used in connection with the one firstmentioned,

Fig. 5 is a detail elevation partly in secgortis of one of the cigarcells and its con- Fig. 61s a plan view of a modified form of transverselank.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of package.

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view of one of the units of the packa liig.9 is a detail o the blank for such um There is illustrated in Fig. 5 anindividual cigar cell and contents, including a glass receptacle 10 ofcylindrical form with a rounded integral closed end 11, the opposite endbeing open flush with its cylindrical wall, being closed by a stopperelement 12 of cork or other suitable resllient material, the corktreated with a substance to make it hermetically impervious to air andwater, sealin the tube, a cord 13 bein looped aroun the stopper withinthe g ass cell, and its extremities loosely knotted over the outer faceof the stopper, affording a cushion as well as means to be grasped andpulled upon for the extraction of the stopper. For further preservationof moisture within the receptacle 10, a piece of metal foil 14 isdisposed over the outer end of the stopper and cord 13, being folded inclosely around the sides of the receptacle 10 and held snuglythereagainst by means of a band 15 of suitable material, paper beingordinarily employed. The foil 14 may be replaced by ot er suitablematerial. Paper has been used, covered with a thin metal foil or othermaterial.

Slightly beyond the middle-of V jeeptacle 10 toward its closed end fanintermediate band 16 of paper isJ'seCIfIKBdtherearound, serving as acushioning'means for the lower part of the device; and also as a label.

A container for the individual cells is provided preferably in the-formof a box 17 having an inside depth sli htly greater than the length ofthe receptac e 10, and of suitable length and breadth to contain thenumber of clgar cells desired in the commercial package, set upon endside by side in orderly fashion. The box 17 may be formed of anysuitable material and is provided with a hinged lid 18 adapted to fitsnugly thereon. The box 17 is divided into compartments or chamberscorresponding in number to the number of cigars to be contained in thepackage and adapted to receive snugly respective cells 10. Thecompartments are formed by respective wall elements 19 and 20, thelatter comprising the supporting means for both sets of walls, and beingsubstantially rectangular in form with short slots 21 cut in the upperportion extending vertically while the member 19 is formed with slots 22extending vertically from its lower edge and stopping short of the upperedge a distance corresponding to the depth of the slots 21 beforementioned. The piece 20 is also provided at one side with a notchedportion 23 at its upper part corresponding in form, size and relation tothe material between the slots 21 for a purpose to be explained. Theslots 22 in the piece 19 form individual compartment walls 24, and at adistance from the top of the piece 19 slightly less than the height ofthe piece 20, the wall portions 24 are bent on a horizontal line 25 sothat when the pieces 19 are engaged in the slots 21 and notches 23 asillustrated in Fig. 2, the point of bend 25 will be held a distanceabove the bottom of the box 17 and the laterally bent portions 28 willextend diagonally downward to rest at their outer parts on the bottom ofthe box 17. The extreme end edge portions of the wall parts 24 are alsobent on the line 26 so as to extend upwardly when the parts areassembled as mentioned, the upwardly turned parts resting against thelower vertical parts of the next adjacent wall 24 and side of the box soas to hold all of the walls against lateral movement in the box 17, aswill be apparent in Fig. 2, the portion 26 of the piece 19 at theextreme left of the box 17 as illustrated in Fig. 2 being rested againstthe front side of the box. All of the lower wall portions 24, thereforederive mutual support against lateral oscillation between the sides ofthe box 17. The compartments 27 formed in this manner may be of a sizeto snugly receive the tubes 10 with their glassclosed ends presenteddownwardly to rest upon the inclined portions 28 which serve asresilient spring supports for the individual cigar containers, as willbe readily understood. The pieces 19 and 20 are ordinarily formed ofpaste board or other material of moderate resiliency so that thefunction indicated is readily attained by the use of stock materialsavailable in the open market at a low price.

I am aware that it has been a practice to form compartments in packagesby mortised strips of card board, but ordinarily, the slots in each setof sheets have been extended to a point midway in the height of thesheets. and

aerate? in applying this practice to use inpackages such as Tcontemplate, the extended portions between the slots would be so lonthat they become easily bent, and the order y arrangement of theindividual containers sacrificed, as well as liability of fracturesincurred, as the top portions of the tubes may all sway in one directionso that the tubes are subjected to considerable stress by lateral jar orother forces. It has been found that by forming the slots 21 extremelyshort as indicated, this disordered appearance of the package has beenobviated, even without the extended portions 26 and 28.

When the box 17 is closed, the closely knotted portions of the material13 and the projecting portion of the stopper 12 are borne upon by thelid 18, and serve as cushions for the outer ends of the tubs 10 duringshipment or other handling, so that in conjunction with the cushionelement at the lower part of the box, the tubes are well guarded at topand bottom and held against loose movement. Furthermore, by thearrangement of the compartment walls described, each cigar cell issupported individually by the compartment walls without communicatingany of the stress to the tubes of adjacent or other cells in thepackage, so that by the resilient character of the sheets 19 and 20, theliability of fracture by lateral stress upon the tubes is largelyeliminated.

In Figs. 7 to 9 inclusive, there is illustrated an application of theconstruction in part to a further use of especial advantage with cigarsor the like. In this instance, a

package is made up, comprising units each in the form of a specialcarton, in which a glass tube before mentioned, and similarly closed, isinclosed, the tube containing a cigar or other tobacco article.Reference may be had to the earlier description herein for anunderstanding of the construction of the tube and its closure. Thecarton shown is so formed, however, that elements upon the blank areprovided by which, when the blank is properly folded and the end tabsturned in to close the unit, resilient supports are formed at each endby which the tube is safeguarded against fracture at those points whereit is most liable to damage by concussion or shock incident to thecommercial handling of the package, or during its shipment.

The blank is stamped and slightly crimped to facilitate its folding soas to provide an outer lap side 31, and intermediate carton sides 32,33, and 34 respectively, with a terminal inner lap side 35, which may beof slightly less width than the other side portions mentioned, althoughthis is not essential. As is usual in blanks for such cartons, the sides31 and 33 are provided at each end with closing flaps 36; These endflaps 36 fold on the dotted lines 37 to form flaps corresponding in areato the cross sectlonal dlmenslon of the carton, and upon the side 34 theusual closing tongues 38 are formed, of a length somewhat greater thanthat of the flaps so that they may be folded in over the flaps and theirouter end portions inserted within the carton whereby the inserted partsare bound between the edges of the flaps and the sides 31 and 35, theouter portions being crimped so as to fold on proper lines. In theformation of the flaps and tongues described, the blank is slitted at39, and the material at each end of the side 32 corresponding to theflaps 36, is removed. Contrary to the usual parctice, instead of cuttingthe lap side 35 of the same longitudinal dimension as the intermediateside 32 upon which no flaps are provided, I extend the end portions 42of the blank from the side 35 for a distance slightly short of a lineacross the ends of the flaps 36, and I form slits 40 extended in to theblank beyond the bases or line of fold of the flaps 36 alined with theimmediately adjacent boundary of the side 34 where it is crimped orfolded, as indicated at 41. Thus, tongues 42 are formed at each end ofthe lap side 35, and the paper is crimped or weakened in the same manneras for the other folds of the blank on a line at the inner'end of theslit 4O slightly inwardly of the line upon which the flaps 36 fold, thetongues 42 bein of a length slightly greater than the widt of the sides31 to 34, inclusive, or the width of the finished carton. The carton isformed by folding the blank in the customary way, and gumming orotherwise securing the lap side 35 upon the inner face of the lap side31 at the opposite edge of the blank. The tongues 42 are then folded inand the flaps and other tongues before mentioned then folded inthereover in the customary way,

provided for the glass tubes containing the cigars or other artlcles oftobacco, safeguarding the tubes and contents against damage.

f a multiplicity of cartons containing the tubes properly filled areassembled in groups such as indicated in Fig. 7 and secured by tying aribbon 43 or cord therearound, the necessity for introducing them into abox or other expensive container is obviated, while at the same time byreason of the mutual support derived by all the parts from the others inthe package it will not become readily distorted, nor will the contentsbe damaged by ordinary usage and handling such as is involved inshipment and store handlin Such a package is the equivalent of that rstdescribed in many respects, and the carton may be regarded as chamber'elements corresponding to the compartments formed by the walls 19 and20.

What is claimed:

1. In a tobacco package a receptacle, partition elements therein to forma multiplicity of compartments, one series of the partition elementsincluding tongue parts between the other series, the tongues beinginclined at their inner parts from a line spaced from the bottom of thereceptacle and extended to rest upon the bottom of the receptacle inabutment with the next adjacent opposite side of the compartment.

2. In a tobacco package a compartment unit formed of sheet material andincluding a side having an integral longitudinal extension bent on atransverse line spaced from an end of the compartment and being of alength and inclined to extend to the side of the compartment oppositethe base of the extension and formed to rest against a member across theadjacent end of the compartment, whereby an individual resilientcompartment end is formed.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

EUGENE VALLENS.

Witnesses:

O'rro F. GRAF, I'IERMAN Goms'mm.

